Love in the Shadow of Death
by ladylibre
Summary: Written for TwiAddictAnne for FAGE-12. "To fully embrace his future, Edward will have to face the past." **No main character death** AU, Bella/Edward. One-shot, COMPLETE.


**Disclaimer: SM owns everything in the Twiverse, but please don't steal my plot. It's rude.**

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**FAGE 12. NEVER TOO LATE TO START ANEW**

**Title:**_** Love in the Shadow of Death**_

**Written for: TwiAddictAnne**

**Written By: ladylibre**

**Beta: BitterHarpy**

**Rating: M**

**Prompt:**** "She died doing what she loved: swearing profusely."**

**Summary: "To fully embrace his future, Edward will have to face the past."**

**Pairing: Edward/Bella**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange, visit the Facebook group: "Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps" or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox.**

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_Okay, so this story idea came to me immediately, much to my surprise. It's a bit different than I thought it would be, but I really hope you enjoy it, TwiAddictAnne! It was really hard to choose between all your great prompts - and if I ever write a story based on one of the others, I'll totally give you credit for the idea - but this one grabbed me and wouldn't let go._

_Many thanks to Deonne for organizing such a dope contest again, to my partner, BitterHarpy, for the Beta work, and to my girl Lizzie Paige for the incredible banner. You all are gems in the fandom crown!_

_And without further ado, I present "Love in the Shadow of Death" - ENJOY!_

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**LOVE IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH**

"Do I look okay?" Edward asked.

Bella rolled her eyes. "As if."

"I'm serious." He fussed with his dark tie. "I've never been to a human funeral, and I want to look the part."

"As pale as you are, you definitely look the part."

"I don't understand how you can be so casual about this." He gave up on the tie to pick lint from his suit jacket. "Someone is dead."

"At the ripe old age of 94."

"And you don't find anything sad about that?"

Bella finished brushing her hair. "Should I?"

"Bella, we left Forks at the start of senior year and never looked back."

"And?"

"Don't you ever wonder how things might have been different?"

She turned to look at him. "What's going on?"

Edward didn't say anything, and Bella crossed the room to kneel in front of him. "You can tell me anything," she said gently.

"I know."

"And nothing you say could ever make me leave you."

"I know that too."

"So tell me what's on your mind."

Edward took her hands but kept his eyes averted. He idly brushed his thumb back and forth across her skin, soothed by the sheer feel of her.

"We made difficult choices that were hard for others to understand," he murmured. "And I'm satisfied by those choices, grateful for the life we've lived together."

Bella squeezed his hands. "Me too."

"But being here again, remembering where we began... I can't help thinking that you should be in that casket."

Bella yanked her hands away, blurring away from him. "What?"

Edward looked up. "I keep thinking that should be you."

"What in the unholy hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about fate or destiny or whatever it is that creates the lives we're supposed to live. I'm talking about the decisions we make that make us who we ultimately become and..."

"And those thoughts make you think that I should be dead right now? Babe, you're not making sense."

He hung his head. "I shouldn't have done what I did."

"Done what?"

Edward didn't reply, so Bella went to stand in front of him, tipping up his chin with a tender finger. "Done what?"

"I shouldn't have let you come with me. When I left Forks, I should have... I should have let you stay here."

"Alone?"

"No, with- with Charlie and your friends and..."

"And the boring human life I had before we met? Where is this coming from?"

"I don't know." His eyes were cloudy with emotion. "But since we came here..."

"Since we came here..." Bella repeated, pursing her lips in thought. "Did you have thoughts like this when we lived in London?"

"No."

"Chongqing?"

"No."

"Tórshavn?"

He shook his head. "Do you think this place has something to do with it?"

"Yes. And I think we need to deal with it."

"How?"

She tapped a finger against her mouth, then a slow smile bloomed on her face. "Come take a walk with me."

He jerked back. "Did you just..."

"Use that terrible line you used when you tried to leave me in the forest? Yes, I believe I did."

"Why would you..."

"Do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"One demanding an answer." She looked at him. "Do you trust me?"

He laid a hand over his heart, bowing slightly. "I trust you with my life. Such as it is."

"Good." She walked toward the door and held out her hand. "Then come take a walk with me."

Hesitantly only a moment, Edward crossed the room and took her hand.

"You said you trust me." She lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of his. "No matter what happens today, I need you to remember that."

She led them out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Her decision to walk at a human pace unnerved him, but he didn't say anything about it. Though Bella had been immortal for nearly a half-century, Edward was still frequently surprised by her behavior. She never did anything to hurt him, though her penchant for engaging with humans was baffling, but she often did things he didn't expect.

Like deciding to drive to their first destination.

"It was a short walk leading to a longer drive." She smiled sheepishly. "But I still need you to trust me."

"I told you I trust you." He closed the passenger door of her truck with a frown. "But it's a good thing I trust Rosalie with maintaining this thing. Otherwise I'd never let you near it."

"You realize I'm indestructible, right?"

"I do." He made a show of putting on his seatbelt. "But I still wish you'd let me get you that tank."

With a snort, she turned the key in the ignition. "Shotgun controls the radio, so make it good."

Edward turned the dial and slowed down when he found a classic country station, causing Bella to raise an eyebrow. He smirked and kept going until the sounds of Debussy filled the cabin.

"That's more like it." Bella sighed contentedly as she backed out of the driveway. "Now sit back and enjoy the ride."

Edward nodded, closing his eyes as Bella hummed beside him. He still couldn't believe she was with him, that she would always be with him as his immortal beloved because she'd loved him that much.

Especially after he'd almost thrown her away.

When Edward had asked Bella to take a walk in the forest on that fateful afternoon, the disaster of her birthday party still fresh in his mind, he'd known exactly what to say. He'd expected her to protest, maybe cry a little, but he was ready for every objection she could possibly raise.

He did not expect _her_ to lead _him_ to a place in the forest where his entire family was waiting. Bella stood beside his family and said that if leaving was the only answer, then she was coming with him.

If his family's presence was a shock, their unwavering agreement with Bella had positively floored him. One by one, they expressed support for his bond with Bella and vowed to do whatever was needed to keep them both safe. Their love-fueled logic erased his fear-induced plans for flight and gave him considerable pause. Even Rosalie chimed in to point out the cruelty of calling Bella his mate while being ever poised to leave her. By the time Esme shared how much Bella meant to all of them, Edward could only fall at Bella's feet, begging her forgiveness. He had been so afraid for her life, so scared that his bloodlust might someday kill her, and he hadn't been thinking straight since.

"I forgive you," Bella had said, wrapping herself around him as the family dispersed to give them the illusion of privacy. "But from now on, we decide everything together." She'd kissed his cheek and whispered, "You are my life now, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Whatever happens to you happens to me."

While Edward and Bella were lost in the moment, Alice was several yards away having a vision: Victoria was on her way to Forks to avenge James' death. Bella was safe with the Cullens, but Charlie was another story. Carlisle and Edward shared a knowing look, and within minutes, a call was placed to Billy Black. He was none too pleased by the summons, but learning his best friend was in danger cooled his anger. The Quileutes agreed to protect Charlie, and in exchange, the Cullens (and Bella) promised never to return to Forks. And when Victoria was caught and quartered a few months later, Charlie had been none the wiser.

"We're here," Bella said, drawing Edward out of his thoughts. He looked around, hardly noticing where they'd ended up until now.

"Here?" He frowned at the familiar buildings as she pulled the truck to a stop in the parking lot. "The place where you almost died?"

"More like the first place I almost died." She cut the engine and was at the Forks High entrance in an instant. "Come."

Edward obeyed as she opened the locked double doors with ease and led him through the halls to their biology class. He stood at the door while Bella waltzed into the room and sat in her former seat.

"I know we first saw each other in the cafeteria," she said. "But I consider this place the start of our relationship. This table in particular."

He sighed. "I was awful to you that day."

"No, you were scared. And with good reason. I was your singer and immune to your mind-reading. For all you knew, I was a Volturi plant sent to test and ruin you."

"That was Jasper's first theory," he said. "Carlisle said the Volturi had nothing to gain from such a stunt, but Jasper wouldn't rule anything out."

"You were right to be afraid, Edward," she said softly. "And even in your fear, you tried to save my life. You could have just killed me or let Rosalie arrange it. She was certainly eager enough."

"She regrets that, you know." He blurred into the room, stopping beside their desk. "Almost every time she sees you, she reflects on how much you mean to her and how sorry she is for wanting you dead."

"That's surprising," Bella said. "We talked about all that stuff a year after leaving Forks, and I told her I understood, that her instincts came from a good place. I don't like to think she still feels guilty about it."

"Some people can't accept forgiveness when they don't think they deserve it."

"Yes." Bella looked at him. "Some people."

Edward huffed. "Rosalie and I are nothing alike."

"You and Rosalie are more alike than different, and that's why you don't get along. But that's a conversation for another time." Bella waited for him to look at her. "I brought you here to say this: My life was in the most danger the moment I sat here. So you're right – I should have died in Forks. But I didn't because you decided to save my life."

"But I..."

"You saved me, Edward." She stared at him as if trying to sear the words on his heart. "You could have killed me, but you didn't. In fact..."

She grabbed his hand and dragged him through the halls, stopping outside the Principal's Office. "Do you remember this part?"

"Yes. For all the good it did."

"Well, yes, it sucked to think you hated me. But when you told me I was your singer, I realized what you were doing here: trying to save my life once again."

"My motives weren't pure, Bella. I... I couldn't hear your thoughts even as your blood called to me. You made me feel weak, and for that..." He met her eyes. "I did hate you."

"You didn't hate me," she countered easily. "You hated how my presence made you feel. And even then, you could have just taken me out. But you didn't – you tried to get away from me."

"Bella..."

"Why didn't you ask Mrs. Cope to transfer me into another class?"

He blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You told me later that she would have put 'em on the glass if you asked her to." He looked at her, and she shrugged. "I'm just saying you knew she would have given you anything you wanted. So why didn't you just have her put me somewhere else?"

"It wasn't your fault you were so tempting. And angry at you or not, I didn't want to punish you."

"Don't you see? Without knowing me or even realizing you cared about me, you still acted in kindness."

"I was being selfish," he said firmly. "You were an obstacle, nothing more. I had abstained from human blood for more than seven decades, and I was not about to let some clumsy interloper ruin that for me."

"Clumsy interloper? Wow."

"I'm just being honest."

"You're being stubborn. So very stubborn." She tsked. "No matter. Next stop."

She grabbed his hand, and in seconds they arrived in the parking lot where, to his surprise, someone else was waiting.

"Fancy meeting you here," she said.

"Hello, Rosalie." Bella smiled. "Glad you're here."

Rosalie bowed slightly, smirking at her brother. "Edward."

"Rosalie." Then he turned to Bella, whispering, "Why the hell did you invite her?"

"Why the hell are you whispering?" Rosalie asked. "My hearing's as good as yours."

"We've already talked about how much she wanted you dead," he continued to Bella. "And this place is the reason why. So why would you bring her here?"

"I didn't invite her," Bella said.

That shocked him. "Then what is she doing here?"

"Probably the same thing I'm doing here." Bella glanced at Rosalie. "Trying to make you see sense."

"For all the good it will do," Rosalie said.

Bella grinned at Edward. "Didn't you use the same phrase a few minutes ago?"

He toed the ground with his shoe. "Whatever."

"So..." Bella looked around at the parking lot. "After you rescued me and knew that I saw you stop the van with your hand, you had every reason to kill me."

"Or to let me do it," Rosalie added, inspecting her nails. "Ugh, I told Alice this shade of red was too orange for my skin tone."

"But you didn't let Rose kill me," Bella said, drawing Edward's attention back to her. "You fought for me, stood up to her and Jasper..."

"... and nearly tore the family apart..." Rosalie mumbled.

"... to save my life," Bella said. "Because when you saw that van coming toward me, what did you say to yourself?"

"It doesn't matt..."

"What did you say to yourself?"

He sighed, finally meeting her gaze. "_Not her_."

Rosalie clasped her hands to her heart. "And with that, a new love was born, and our family was never the same again. End scene."

Edward turned to her. "Why are you here again?"

"That's the point." She walked toward them. "I'm here, Edward. I'm here, Bella's here... we're both here."

He frowned. "This is making less and less sense."

Rosalie turned to Bella. "I don't think this is working."

"Me neither," Bella said. "But I'm not giving up."

"You wouldn't be you if you did," Rosalie said with admiration. "I'm going to go now, but I just want to say..."

"You don't have to say it," Bella said. "You taking the time to be here says it loud and clear."

"Oh." Rosalie smiled. "Okay."

"Thanks for coming, I guess," Edward said, causing Rosalie to look at him. She folded her arms as she watched him in silence, raising her eyebrow as she opened her mind to him.

"I..." Edward huffed. "I know that."

"Then act like it!'" Rosalie said sharply. As she walked away, she shook her head. "Alice is totally springing for manicures tomorrow because this color is killing me."

Bella watched Rosalie leave then turned to Edward. "Are you ready for our next stop?"

Edward was still watching Rosalie, his face a mask of frustration. He turned to see Bella looking at him expectantly, and he offered his hand to her.

She squeezed his hand lovingly. "Thank you."

They took off again, this time on foot. Edward wondered where they were headed but was determined not to ask. After running for a while, they approached familiar ground, causing Edward's hackles to rise.  
"Bella..." His gaze darted in every direction. "Why would you bring us here?"

"I thought about going to Port Angeles," she said. "Returning to the scene of the almost-crime."

"Your word choice astounds me."

"Then I thought about our meadow. You were so nervous that day, terrified you were going to kill me, even though I knew you wouldn't. I was only terrified you were going to pull away, that at some point you would rebuild the wall between us again after lowering it so completely."

"Not completely," he murmured. "I didn't tell you about my murderous past that day."

"Not the point. I considered those places but realized that this was it. This is where it really began."

"What began?"

"Your fear that something would happen to me." She met his eyes. "The moment James set his sights on me in this field, you realized how dangerous your world was for me. You saw that I would always be a target and could be taken from you at any moment."

"Bella..." His voice trembled. "How... how is this supposed to help?"

"Because you were genuinely afraid for me and steeped in so much guilt..."

"... because I'm the reason you were in danger to begin with..."

"... that you've never given yourself permission to feel."

"Feel what?"

"All of it: the fear, the guilt, and everything else you carried when I was human." Bella laid a hand over his silent heart. "And I need you to do it."

"Do what?"

"I need you to feel it, Edward. Allow yourself to feel the depths of those things so you can finally let them go."

He nearly trembled. "Please don't ask this of me."

"I'm not asking this of you. I'm asking this _for _ you. You may be immortal, but you still have a mind and emotions. It doesn't matter how many years go by – the pains of the past will always hurt if you don't give yourself permission to grieve them."

"Bella, I..."

"Please, Edward. Whether we ever come back to this town or not, I don't want you carrying the pain of the past anymore." She waited for him to look down at her. "Let me help you heal."

Edward shut his eyes, shaking his head, but Bella stood firm. As he continued his silent protest, his hands came to cup her face. Bella relaxed, letting him draw her closer. He pulled her in until their foreheads were touching, exhaling shakily as he began to speak.

"I..." He winced. "I don't... how to say..."

Bella slid her hands around his waist. "It's all right."

Again he felt silent, but he brought her face even closer, his eyelashes brushing her skin as he tried once more.

"It started before I'd knew it begun," he whispered. "The fear of you being hurt, no... the fear of _me_ hurting you. Your first day, the van, Port Angeles... none of it compared with the bone-deep terror I carried every time we were alone.

"And you were so unconcerned, so indifferent to my fears for your safety that it almost made me angry. No, it... it did make me angry. Furious, even, that you didn't value your life more. That you would put yourself in harm's way time after time because you thought yourself in love with me."

Bella's eyes stung with the need to cry, but she did not move.

"You think it started here, my fear for your wellbeing? James was nothing compared to the thirst that burned me from the inside out whenever you were near. He was just a monster fulfilling nature's call." He brushed his thumb over her cheek. "But I loved you, called you my mate. I wanted you more than anything in the world, and by acting on that desire, I put you in deathly danger. James threatened you, so I'm glad he's dead. But what was he compared to the enemy in your bedroom, the one who kissed you good night and called you his own? How could I hate him more than I hated myself? The thirsty stranger versus the soulless beast you loved?"

He turned away, and Bella missed his touch immediately. Edward kept his back to her, his breathing ragged as he spoke again.

"You insisted I change you, wanted so desperately to be like us. Alice saw it, said I could have it if I wanted it, so I should be thrilled. '_You found your mate!' "_ he said in a perfect imitation of Alice's voice. " '_Now our family will be complete!' _Great news, Alice. A beautiful woman will be cut down before her life even begins, but I should be happy because I'll finally be invited to Cullen Couples Night. Never mind the dreams she'll never realize, the things she'll never do or experience because she had the misfortune of falling in love with someone whose sole desire is to drain her dry!"

The nearby trees shook with the force of his words, the very sky seeming to darken. Bella dared not approach him, and she jumped as he blurred into her space, staring her down.

"How could do that, Bella? How could... why did you give up your life to be with me? Why?"

"Because I love you, Edward." She held his gaze as his eyes blackened with emotion. "I loved you and wanted to be with you always."

"But why?"

"Because I love you."

His head drooped, resting against her chest. "Say it again," he mumbled.

"I love you, Edward."

"I... I wanted to kill you."

"But you didn't."

"I wanted you with me."

"You have me."

"You could have died." He raised his head and met her eyes. "You could have died because of me."

She nodded, and he gripped her arms as his own trembled. "You could have died because of me! You could have di... you could have... you could ha... oh, god..."

Edward dropped to the ground as the first sob rippled through him, and just like that critical afternoon in Forks, Bella wrapped herself around him. Edward let himself be held, weeping tearlessly into her chest. Bella tenderly rubbed his back, whispering words of love as decades of anguish poured out of him.

At length, Edward raised his head. His eyes were still dark, but Bella saw a light in their depths she had never seen before. Edward laced their fingers together, still looking at her, and sighed.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." She kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Are you all right now?"

"Yes." He a smiled. "For the first time ever, yes."

"Good." She offered him a hand. "Because we've still got a funeral to attend."

They kept to the backroads as they returned to town, Edward's telepathy helping them avoid any human contact. It was decided that they would attend the funeral from a distance. The forecast promised some rare Forks sunshine, and there were other concerns at play.

"It would be just our luck that Lauren Mallory shows up and remembers us," Bella said. "And I want the only scandal at the funeral to be some long-lost relative showing up with his hand out."

"So far there are three," Edward said as they came to a stop a half-mile from the edge of town. "And one brought a lawyer."

"Humans are the worst," Rosalie groaned from behind them. She'd driven Bella's truck to their location. "I'm so glad you're not one of them anymore."

Bella turned to smile at her. "Me too."

"Me three!" Alice added, coming into view with Jasper. "But I always knew this would happen, so..."

Rosalie rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, yeah."

Emmett and Esme soon appeared with Carlisle bringing up the rear. He walked over to Edward, resting his hands on his shoulders. "Are you well, son?"

Edward reached for Bella's hand and squeezed it as he looked at Carlisle. "Yes, I finally am."

Carlisle stared at him for a moment, and Edward smiled gently at his father's thoughts. "Me too," Edward said.

"So..." Rosalie beamed as a ray of sunlight danced across her face. "Are we climbing trees, scaling buildings, or what?"

"The dearly departed wanted her service held in the town square," Alice said. "City Hall is a perfect spot, but the way these clouds are moving... we'll turn that funeral into a disco."

"I'd kinda like to see that," Bella said.

"And that's why I love you, Belly Bean," Emmett said as he climbed a tree to scout an alternate location. Their supernatural eyesight meant they could see perfectly from as many as three miles away, but the family wanted to be closer for Edward and Bella's sake. The other Cullens had made peace with their pasts long ago, forsaking their human lives the moment their immortal ones began.

Not so with Edward and Bella.

So while the Masen-Cullens headed to Charlie's place to get ready for the funeral, Alice briefed the rest of the family.

"Edward will have the chance to finally bury his past today," she said. "And we need to give him the space to do so."

But Rosalie had other ideas. "I didn't help them when all of this started," she told Emmett, "And I need to make that right." Emmett gave his blessing with a kiss to her forehead, and Carlisle watched from an upstairs window in the old mansion they'd converted for the trip.

"You know..." Esme had slipped an arm around her husband's waist. "This funeral might be the best thing to happen to our family since Edward and Bella's wedding."

Carlisle pulled her closer, beaming with pride as his oldest daughter ran to the Forks High parking lot. "I think you might be right."

"Got it!" Emmett called from his perch above them. "The perfect spot, two miles east."

They scampered up the surrounding trees in pairs, Rosalie joining Emmett at the top, and he led them to the location he'd scouted.

"I will never get used to this," Bella said as she looked down on the square. "Seeing the world from up here while still remembering my life down there so clearly..."

"I hope you never get used to it," Edward said. "I love seeing the wonders of the world through your eyes."

"Oh, get a room," Rosalie said from his other side. Edward threw an acorn at her, and she shook her head with a small smile.

Down below, the whole entire town seemed to be gathering for the service with one notable exception. Shortly after Victoria's demise all those years ago, Charlie had fallen in love with a quiet Quileute named Eve and moved to the reservation to be with her. They spent 29 beautiful years together, and one rainy summer night, Charlie died while napping in his favorite recliner.

Bella had kept in touch with Charlie through cards and letters but was deeply saddened by his passing. She'd been keeping up the house since Charlie moved to the rez, but she hadn't actually seen him since she left Forks. Until, in a gesture of profound kindness, Billy invited Bella and Edward to cross the treaty line to attend Charlie's funeral. Though the changes in Bella's appearance were obvious, Billy forbade anyone to comment on them, honoring his best friend one last time by letting his daughter say goodbye.

"It's been more than ten years," Bella whispered, "But I still..."

"I know." Edward squeezed Bella's hand. "I know."

They watched the well-wishers gather below, lost in their own thoughts. Carlisle recognized some of his male colleagues from the hospital, and Esme was pleasantly surprised by how many of them hadn't traded in their wives for younger models. Then Alice gasped, grabbing Bella's arm.

"Oh my god, look!" Alice squealed. "Pale blonde ponytail, neon green dress with matching heels. Standing alone by the fountain."

Bella gasped. "Lauren Mallory? What are the odds?"

"Now that you mention it," Esme said, "There is an awful lot of neon green here."

"Another special request," Edward said. "Apparently she wanted everyone to wear Seahawks' colors to her funeral."

"Well, lookie here!" Emmett chuckled. "It seems Ms. Mallory may not be a _Ms._ anymore."

A graying brown-skinned man came alongside her, taking her hand as he led her toward the seats.

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised," Jasper said. "Lauren and Tyler spent all of sophomore year together."

"Until she hooked up with Mike Newton at Jessica Stanley's pool party," Emmett added. "The scandal of it all."

Esme chuckled. "You two gossip like a couple of old biddies."

"They seem genuinely happy together and are genuinely grieving today," Edward said. "Apparently the deceased made Lauren's wedding gown and traveled to Portland once a year to see them and their... wow, five children." He looked at Carlisle. "You and Esme inspired Lauren and Tyler to adopt."

Carlisle visibly started. "That's... that's quite something."

"Yes, it is," Rosalie said to herself then turned to Jasper. "I want to do something for their kide. Get me a meeting with Jenks when we get back."

"Done," Jasper said, and Bella smiled to herself. Rosalie could be prickly and impatient, but beneath the snark, she had a heart of gold and would do anything for the good of a child. And had she ever been a mother, Bella knew Rosalie would have been a great one.

"Looks like it's about to start," Bella said aloud as the humans below quieted down. A man in a surprisingly tasteful neon green suit approached the podium and smiled at the crowd.

"Wow!" he said. "Just look at all of you. No, really. Look. Because I don't think you'll ever see this much green and blue outside of the stadium."

The crowd chuckled, a few people pulling out their phones to take pictures. Older mourners frowned at them, but the gentleman at the podium encouraged it.

"Yes, take those pictures!" he said. "I'll keep talking but please commemorate this moment. It's what Momma would have wanted."

He paused to get himself together. "For those who don't know me, I'm Sheldon Cope, Mrs. Cope's youngest son. If you were a student at Forks High 30 years ago and remember the pictures on her desk, I was the one on the monkey bars wearing the fireman's hat... and nothing else."

A few catcalls rang out, causing everyone to laugh more.

"I used to beg Momma to take down that picture or at least put it where no one could see it. But she said she loved that picture because it reminded her that the best moments happen when people do what gives them joy, even if others don't understand it. And her job at Forks High taught her that lesson in a most unexpected way.

"There were these two students who fell in love. You'd expect there to be more to the story, but there isn't. He was kind of a loner, she was the new girl in town, and after a few months, they were inseparable. But right after the start of their senior year, they both disappeared."

Bella looked at Edward. "Is he..."

"Talking about us?" Edward nodded. "Yes."

As Lauren Mallory-Crowley gasped, Sheldon said, "Some of you appear to know who I'm talking about. So you also know they were never seen here again. His family left town the next day, and her father went on just fine without her, so there seemed to be no foul play involved. Momma realized the twitterpated teens must have decided to run away together."

"Or something like that," Bella murmured as Edward kissed her temple.

"While most adults dismissed them as immature and foolish," Sheldon continued, "Momma loved that story and not just because she was a hopeless romantic. She said if two teenagers could follow their hearts, she could too. So at the end of that academic year, she left Forks High and returned to her favorite place in the world: her garden. She'd spend hours behind our house, pulling weeds and nursing her 'babies' as she called them, and within a few weeks, she created a relaxing oasis back there. My dad saw how happy she was, so on their next anniversary, he bought planters, window boxes, and a trellis to aid her efforts in the front yard. Momma was so excited that... well, let's just say they told me to spend that night at my best friend's house. I stayed for a week just to be safe."

Emmett laughed so loud the tree shook, and Rosalie nodded approvingly. "Momma Cope sounds like my kind of woman," she said.

"Eventually Momma's work on our house caught the neighbors' attention, and they asked for her help with their yards. At first, she only accepted baked goods as payment, but when my dad gained 30 pounds that spring, he reminded her that money was still a thing. Soon Momma had a thriving home gardening business, which eventually branched out to local small businesses. Her work in front of Newtown's Olympic Outfitters caught the eye of the mayor's assistant, and Momma was soon in charge of the greenery at City Hall. She was also honored with an invitation to participate in the famed Philadelphia Flower Show and did so for the last 18 years. She also worked for someone whose..." He paused to consult his notes. "... cousin's best friend's roommate's sister was an executive with the Seahawks. Through that elaborate connection, Momma ended up working for senior members of the Seattle Seahawks staff and receiving the ultimate gift of season tickets. Momma was a devoted, vocal fan of the game, and she died doing what she loved: swearing profusely at a blown coverage in the secondary. And if anyone needs an explanation of what that means, please see me afterwards."

"I will!" someone shouted, earning another round of laughter.

Sheldon's chuckle became more of a sob, and he cleared his throat before continuing. "Words cannot describe the many ways I'll miss Momma. But I am so grateful for all the lessons she taught me, especially the lesson she learned from those two students and their reckless love. If not for them, Momma might have missed out on the awesome second act she created for herself. And that would have been the real tragedy today. So wherever those two are, I hope they're still together, living their dreams and loving out loud."

"We are," Edward whispered before kissing his bride. "We truly are."

The town of Forks helped Sheldon lay his mother to rest that day with smiles and budding thoughts of taking new chances in life. And as the Cullens watched from the trees, Edward got the idea to give something back to the place that had given him so much.

"The Shelly Cope Community Garden?" Alice turned to him with an approving smile. "I think that would be perfect."

And when Edward and Bella visited Forks 50 years later to find the garden still blooming beautifully, they wholeheartedly agreed.

* * *

**Thanks for reading my first-ever FAGE story. TwiAddictAnne, I hope you liked it! :)**


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